Percussion-fuse for shells.



PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903 W. RUEGG. PERCUSSION FUSE FOR SHELLS. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 16, 1901. N0 monpL.

.- understood from Figs. 1 and 2.

' planes at right angles to each other. Fig. 3

FFICE.

'ATENT PERCUSSION-FUSE FOR SHELLS.

QPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,282, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed October 16, 1901 To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WERNER RUEGG, first lieutenant of artillerya'ud certified engineer,a citizen of Switzerland, residing at Sommerda, in the Kingdom of. Prussia, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Percussion- Fnses for Shells, Projectiles, and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to percussionfuses for shells or thelike of the kind in which the bursting charge is not ignited instantaneously on the impact taking place, but only some time after the projectile has struck the resistant body, the delay of the bursting being obtained by a retarding device, (retarden) In percussion-f uses hitherto used itwas not possible to adjust the retarding device in a simple manner from the outside in order to, vary the time of retardation'as might be required. On the contrary, it was necessary before loading either to insert the retarding device into the fuse in a position according to the desired time of retardation'or in cases where the retarding device (arranged below the percussion-cap) was already inserted to remove the same when making trial shots. In both cases the rapidity of shooting was considerably diminished by the necessity of previously manipulating the retarding device. By the improved fuse forming the subject of the present invention these drawbacks are obviated, the retarding device being adapted to be adjusted from the outside for any desired time of retardation without removal of any parts of the fuse.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 to 4 illustrate a fuse provided with the adjustable retarder. Figs. 1 and 2 are longitudinal central sections of the fuse, taken on is a transverse section on the line I I of Fig. 2 as seen from the bottom. Fig. 4 is a top view, the fuse beingin its inactive position. Figs. 5 and 6 showin longitudinal section and view from the bottom a modification of the retarder in which priming -rods of pressed powder grains of diiferent lengths are used for varying the time of'retardation. p

The operation of the parts will be readily The fuse comprises a fuse-case A, a socket B, anex- D, a'hammer-block E, a detonator or. fulminateF, a safety-spring G, a bar carrying thestriker or firing-point H, a sleeve J, forming a prolongation of the socket B, an upper washer-ring K, an under closing-plate L, and a breech-plug M.

The operation of the fuse is, as usual, as

follows: On the impact the hammer-moves part ring, of compressed powder N, is arranged in a sleeve J, which may be adjusted from the exterior for any desired time of retardation, so that the explosion might be offected, if desired, immediately on theimpact taking place or at a predetermined time after the shock of impact, when the projectile has,

say, already penetrated a certain depth.

The adjustable ri'ng N is formed in a partly circular groove provided in the bottom of the sleeve J. As may be seen' from Fig. 3, the

groove does not form a complete circle around the axis, but occupies only about threefourthsof a circle, so that there remains between the two ends of the groove a full bottom surface, which in the following parts of the description will be called the bridge 0. From one end of the groove or ring N an inclined conduit leads through the bottom wall of the sleeve J, coming out just under the detonator and constituting apassage through which the flame is transmitted from the dotonator to the priming-ring.

The fuse can be adjusted for any required time of retardation in the following manner: After the insertion of hammer E and spring G into the socketB and the insertion of the bar carrying the striker IrIinto the sleeved the socket B and the sleeveJ are screwed together, so as to form a solid cylinder B J, which then is inserted from the under side into the fuse-casing A. The round-headed nut D is now screwed onto the cylindrical extension'C, projecting from the head of the casing, and secured against turning on the extension by --riveting or in any other suitable mannenwhereupon the breech-plug M,

tension of the socket O, a round-headed nut ICO provi ed with a priming-passage P and a washer L, is screwed into the casing and lixedly connected to the latter. By turning now the cylinder 13 J, which may be effected from the outside by means of a suitable key, the point of the priming-ring N, to which the flame is to be transmitted through the in-- cliued conduit P, may be adjusted relativeiy to the upper port P of the priming-conduit P of the breech-plug M. In this way the part of the priming-ring N which must be consumed by fire before the flame reaches the priming-conduit P, leading to the explosive charge, may be varied inlength, according to the desired time of retardation.

To facilitate the adjustment of the fuse for a predetermined time of retardation, a scale 5 is provided on the nut D, as may be seen from Fig. 4.. In the zero or initial position of the nut the flame is transmitted from the fulminate directly to the explosive charge, as is required in the case of trial shots.

For transport purposes the fuse is brought into the so-callec dead positionviz., the primiug'ring is so turned relatively to the priming-condnIt P of the breech-piece that the middle part of the bridge 0 comes in front of the port P In case the fuse should be broughtinto action by any cause whatever the flame will not find any passage in the downward direction, so that the explosive charge will not be reached by the lire. In this way the fusemay be safely transported.

It is obvious that by using compressed- .powder rods of dilterent lengths, illustrated in l igs. 5 and o, the same effect may he obtained without departing from the spirit of the invention. Attention, however, must be given to the fact that the fuse must be exactly adjusted, every intermediate position between two marks of the scale constituting a dead position of the fuse.

Having now particularly described and'ascertained the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. A percussion-fuse for'shells and the like, consisting-of a fuse-case, a hammer-blockin a socket in said case, said ham mer-block holding a fulminate and adapted to be thrown forward on impact/of the shell to bring the fulminate into contact with a stationary firing-point, a safety-spring for holding the hammer-block normally out of contact with the firing-point, a time-fuse lying in a partly circulargroove in a prolongation of the socket, an inclined conduit leading from the fulminate to the time-fuse, a breech-plug provided with a priming-conduit, and a nut screwed on an extension of the s0cket,-said nut containing a retardation-scale and enabling the whole to be turned to bring the last-named conduit into conjunction with the time-fuse at predetermined points forregulating the time of explosion after impact.

A percussion-fuse for shells and the like -q;nsisting of a fuse-case, a hammer-block in a'socket in said case, said ham mer-block holding a fulminateand adapted to be thrown forward into contact with a stationary firing point, a safetyspring for holding the hammer-block normally out of contact with the firing-point, a nut on an extension of the socket, a fuse of predetermined length adapted to be brought into conjunction with conduits leading to the fulminate and charge respectively, and a retardation-scale on said nut to indicate the length of 'fuse to be ignited on impact of the shell.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, WERNER RUEGG.

W'itnesses:

PAUL TEIDEMANN, l-IERM. Vo1e'r. 

